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If you spend any time on eBay looking for bicycle frames 
you have seen the auction listing for Leader bicycle frames. They offer
frames designed for Road, Time trial, Track, Triathlon, and Mountain. There isn't much buzz about them on the cycling forums,
and few reviews on Web sites. There should be, based on what we have discovered. Quite simply, there may not be a better deal on a fixie/singlespeed build then
what you get with a Leader 720TR.
Sure, go ahead and scoff. But racers are beginning to take notice of Leader frames, are riding them, and are winning with them. The Arizona State Time Trial champion and runner up won on the 735TT. Age group triathletes are turning in podium placings, as are Track riders. The same quailities that make these winning bike builds for racers make them a smart choice for town or light commuter bikes. It's not just the price, it's the quality of the frame, and the outstanding ride, that makes the 720TR a winner.
The 720TR is a double-butted frame made from 6061 Aluminum. This is one of the first aluminum alloys used in bicycle frame manufacture, and it stands the test of time. Compared to the 7005 alloy, the frame is somewhat heavier, but this is only in terms of FRACTIONS of a pound. And the payback is that the frame is stiffer, in our opinion. And a stiffer frame is going to be faster in terms of having less "whipiness" and more force being applied to acceleration of the frame and rider down the road. In other words, when you put the pedal down, it goes.
Leader has come up with a design that amplifies the stiffness. The downtube is a massive ovalized aero shape. The chainstays are s-shaped, imparting later stiffness. The result is a frame that has more wind-cheating qualities than other entry-level track frames but does not sacrifice lateral stiffness in either the critical bottom bracket junction but also stiff in the equally critical head tube junction. The feel is - we kid you not - nearly identical to many higher-end carbon road frames.
We built and rode a size 56 frame, which has a 570mm top tub, a 150mm head tube made for Integrated Headsets,
with seat and head tube angles of
73 degrees. As should be, the dropouts are horizontals, spaced at 120mm, with a set screw to allow precise tensioning
of the chain and position of the chainline. We wish more frames, entry and high-end, had this critical feature.
It's drilled for brakes and and comes with two sets of water bottle bosses. We built our test ride up with
Dura-Ace 7800 brake calipers, added Sugino DX2 cranks with a Salsa 46T chainring, Sugino square taper bottom bracket, FSA FX-270 seatpost, Profile design "pursuit" bullhorns a Specialized Comp saddle,
a Bontrager DXP carbon fork, Richey Stem and an IS-6 Cane Creek headset. We built a wheelset using Formula EXP 32 hole hubs with a flip-flop
rear axle. The rims are Weinmann DP-18 Aero, with DT Swiss 1.8 aero spokes. As an added touch, the rims and hubs are a corn blue color.
An ACS 17T frwheel went on one side of the fip-flop hub, and a SHIMANO 17T track cog on the fixed side. The complete bicycle weighed in
at a wisp-like shade under 15 pounds. For a little whimsey, we added a Yancopads "Skulls and Flowers" top tube pad.
The geometry is somewhat more relaxed then the standard velodrome configuration, having more than a little road feel to it. The Leader advertising copy promises an "aggressive, exciting and comfortable ride", and we couldn't agree more. Thanks to the light, stiff frame and the forged steel crankset the bike takes off like a rocket. Just a few strokes bring it up to cruising speed, and when settling down into a higher cadence it literlly leaps down the road. While aluminum bicycles are infamous for their harsh ride quality, the Leader does not share this problem. Despite the aluminum seatport and handlebars, the road vibration was minimal and no harsher than a carbon monoque would have been. Swapping the seatpost, stem, and bars out for carbon versions would result in an even smoother ride.
We rode it throughout the city of Atlanta , 
over harsh roads, smooth highways, cobblestones, and a couple of unpaved alleys just to
see how the Leader would handle it. Joe took it on his 40 mile round trip to the office and back, weaving through brutal Greater Atlanta commuter traffic, including a 10% grade climb
on one section of the trip. The tough little bike performed flawlessly in every test we threw at it.
On a rainy day, using Michelin commuters, it stuck to the road like glue, with no sliding in the corners. The Dura Ace brakes made for quick stops, and thanks to the geometry, the handling was much agiler than the cyclocross frames that we have tested as Light Commuters. Holding a line through tight corners, the bike feels like it's riding on rails. There is enough track geometry in the frame that you don't need to worry about catching a pedal, and with the stiffness of the front triangle it comes out of the turn in a quick burst of acceleration. The temptation is to take it to your next crit and see how it stack up against the far more expensive, geared, road bikes. Our feeling is that the with the right gearing, and a good rider, the chuckling would disappear after the first lap.
The only quibble - and a minor one at that - is that there is no easy way to attach a rack and panniers.
After all, this
frame was not designed for touring or cyclocross. The only tires you can use on it are road sized, so it's not going
to appear on singletrack anytime soon. But once again, that's not what it is designed to be used for. Using a car analogy,
it's similar to driving a two-seater roadster. It makes for a great around town, commuting, and even long distance vehicle
if you don't need - or want - to take a lot of baggage. A big plus with using this bike, as with any singlespeed, is that maintainence is simple.
Simple, basic, designs are less likely to break down than the more complex. Without derailleurs, keeping the drive train clean is a snap. Two brushes, some bicycle cleaner, a water hose, and you
are done in 5 minutes.
And the baggage issue isn't a major drawback. We recommend that beginning commuters and tourers not take alot along with them at first. Joe has used a fanny pack on the ride to the office, a messenger bag when he needs to transport papers and laptop, and a backpack on trips to the grocery store, and it worked out just fine. He intends to try it at the Velodrome, and also is threatening to show up at a century ride with this bike.
Don't bet against him. Yes, it's that good. If you are in the market for a light commuter, town bike, or just a general all-around fun ride on any given day, then this could be the bike for you.
April 2009 Update
I did ride this bike at the velodrome one night at a practice session. I needed a stand in for my regular frame, and just took off the brakes, stuck on a drop bar and a 16 tooth cog, and paid my fee. It held it's own with specialty track bicycles, going wheel to wheel with rides costing far more. The next day, I put the front brake back on the next morning, and rode it to the office. It's been a fixed gear bicycle since that night in August. And as a fixed gear it really shines.
Over the winter, it became my "rainy day" commuter, taking an incredible amount of punishment from the cold rain,pot holes, and road grit. I stuck on
a front Planet bike Fender, and a rear Headland seat post fender to help on the wet days, and swapped out the Sugino XD crankset and
Tange Bottom bracket for an upgraded Gold Sugino Messenger (RD-2) 165 crankset, 48T Sugino Messenger Chainring, and the matched RD2 Bottom Bracket.
This made a noticeable improvement to the performance of the bike, particularly when accellerating and climbing. With the chainring going from
46T to 48T, I dropped the cog to an 18T, which gave me enough speed in the flats but made climbing the hills around the Atlanta area far easier.
To give it a little style,I laced up pair of gold Origin Track hubs to a pair of black Velicty Deep-V rims. I used Wheelsmith black 15g spokes and gold nipples. The wheels got a pair of Continental GrandPrix 400 in the 25mm width. Since last August, I have put an 5000 miles on the bicycle, plus what I had put on before I started using it as a regular commuter, giving it around 7000 very hard miles through this month. I have had few bicycles that have been as fun to ride, and as dependable, as this one. My experience speaks for itself.
Joe